This invention relates generally to raised toilet which are superimposed upon conventional toilet bowls and which are an aid for invalids and post-surgical patients, and others who have difficulty in sitting on and raising from a conventional toilet seat. More particularly, this invention relates to a toilet seat of the type described which meets the needs of patients who have undergone unilateral or bilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Raised superimposed toilet seats useful for the purposes described and now known in the art feature a right or left side sloped forward toward the floor to accommodate a particular patient's infirmity, with the other side being level to provide adequate seating support. These seats are less than adequate for post-surgical THA patients who must take the precautions of limited hip flexion and adduction to prevent hip dislocation.
Prior art toilet seats of the type described include those covered by: U.S. Pat. No. 242,457 issued to Kurt Landsberger on Nov. 23, 1976; U.S. Pat. No. 287,534 issued to John Broeils on Dec. 30, 1986; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 179,669 filed by Kurt Landsberger on Apr. 11, 1988 and now abandoned.
The present invention is an improvement over the noted prior art toilet seats and better serves the patient's needs as will be understood from the description of the invention to follow and as ascertained by patients who have undergone either unilateral or bilateral THA surgery and by physical therapists working with such patients.